Billions required for Bermuda road projects

LIMPOPO – Roads Agency Limpopo (RAL) is R3 billion short of completing the Bermuda road projects that were left stalled in the aftermath of the Section 100 which was imposed on the province during former premier Cassel Mathale’s government in 2011. Despite this, RAL and its aligned agencies are confident the job will get done.
At the time, six provincial departments  – education, treasury, health, cooperative governance, public works and roads and transport – were put under administration.
Speaking during a media briefing at the agency’s headquarters in Polokwane recently, RAL’s newly appointed Chief Executive Officer, Maselaganye Matji said the roads were currently receiving attention.
Matji said that R7,3 billion was needed to complete the roads in a period of over five years but the province can only afford R4 billion for the project but the backlog costs in maintenance is R3 billion. “The backlog in the upgrading of gravel roads stands at R160 billion. Through strategic partnerships, the agency raised R303 million from private sector partners to build the roads this financial year.
“The total number of ongoing projects run and managed by RAL is 47 while 40 of them were in pre-construction stage. We are proud to announce that since the 2015/16 financial year, the agency has been able to complete three of these projects,” he said.
Premier, Stanley Mathabatha said the consolidated provincial budget for infrastructure this financial year was R4,77 billion. Mathabatha said in a statement that as from 30 June, a total of R1, 015 billion had already been spent, with visible results.
“The total number of infrastructure projects covered by the budget is 27 467. At least, 13 598 of the total number are currently in the construction stage while 9 207 of them have been completed and 4 662 were at the pre-construction stage,” said Mathabatha.
He added that out of the R4, 77 billion, R1, 7 billion was allocated to provincial roads.
RAL is a state-owned listed company controlled and owned by the Limpopo Provincial Government.  The agency was established in 1999 with the primary aim of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, controlling and managing all Limpopo provincial roads.
The new CEO and his board of directors seem set on turning the situation around, as was evident when the agency improved its audit this financial year to a qualified audit opinion from the Auditor-General.
thoko@nmgroup.co.za